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Prime Minister Stephen Harper to focus on economy at G20 summit

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not shy away from rebuking Russia over its stance on Syria — and anti-gay legislation — at the G20 Summit next week, but plans to devote official talks to the world economy.

Russian Interior Ministry troops march on Friday near the venue for the upcoming G-20 summit, the Constantine Palace just outside St.Petersburg. A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that he plans to devote official talks to the world economy, but would not shy away from speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Syria and anti-gay legislation. (OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not shy away from rebuking Russia over its stance on Syria and anti-gay legislation at the G20 summit next week, but plans to devote official talks to the world economy.

“Obviously, for us the focus of the meeting is still very much the global economy, but we won’t shy away to raise these matters if we’re given the opportunity,” Harper spokesman Andrew MacDougall said Friday during a media briefing on the upcoming G20 summit.

World leaders will gather in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sept. 5 and 6 to tackle economic issues ranging from international trade and job growth to anti-corruption efforts and long-term financing for infrastructure projects.

Those items are on the official agenda, but it appears increasingly likely the summit will happen against the backdrop of U.S. military strikes against Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons by the regime of President Bashar Assad.

“It’s important that we continue with discussions on the economy, but it’s inevitable that if there are strikes, if there are developments in Syria, that we will talk about them. It’s inevitable,” MacDougall said Friday.

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That would include Harper letting Russian President Vladimir Putin know what he thinks about the role his country is playing in blocking the United Nations Security Council from sanctions against the Syrian regime.

MacDougall also said Harper would not hesitate to speak to Putin about Russian legislation banning anyone from providing information about homosexuality to minors.

“That’s what’s important to any healthy relationship, is that you raise issues even if you don’t agree on them,” said MacDougall, who said any bilateral meetings between Harper and Putin — or any other leaders at the G20 summit — have yet to be confirmed.

MacDougall also cited “obstruction at the (UN) Security Council from Russia” and the fact that the UN inspection team does not have a mandate to assign blame for the use of chemical weapons as reasons why Canada would support the U.S. in any military action against Syria without waiting to hear back from inspectors.

“I think the evidence we’ve seen makes it clear that chemical weapons were in fact used, so our position hasn’t changed. We do support a firm response to this, although we will not be contemplating our own military mission,” MacDougall said.

MacDougall also said that despite not having gathered the intelligence itself, Canada has enough faith in the evidence it has seen to determine the Assad regime used chemical weapons against its citizens and that it should support the U.S. in its decision to go ahead with an attack.

“From what we’ve been told and what we’ve seen, we are of the opinion the Assad regime is behind the attack and that that merits a response. . . You just have to take the information that you’re presented and make the judgment and in our judgment we’re confident in that assessment,” MacDougall said.

MacDougall also confirmed that since Canada will not, at this time, join a military mission against Syria, Harper does not plan to recall Parliament to debate the possibility.

“As it stands now, we’re not contemplating our mission so I don’t see a reason right now to have that discussion in Parliament,” MacDougall said.

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